"I think Zhejiang is the most beautiful place I've been, with its lush mountains, lucid waters, and everything else. I love it!" said Mi Ka (Chinese name), a Kyrgyz student at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College, during her trip to the ancient water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang province on Dec 12 along with some 150 other international students.

The group trip marked the successful conclusion of "Dreams Come True in Zhejiang", an annual cultural exchange series now in its 14th year.

The events target the thousands of international students currently studying at Zhejiang-based universities. They were invited to attend the "Beautiful Zhejiang" Overseas Students Short Video Contest, perform at a themed gala, and participate in a cultural trip to Wuzhen this year.

Organizers of the events include the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, the Information Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Government, and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Government.

A number of expat students were interviewed during the events and shared with us their personal life experience in Zhejiang.

Joseph Marnick is interviewed prior to the "Dreams Come True in Zhejiang" cultural gala on Dec 11.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Joseph Marnick, from Liverpool, England, has been living in the provincial capital of Hangzhou for six years, where he studies business Chinese at Zhejiang Gongshang University. His video won a second-place prize in the "Beautiful Zhejiang" Overseas Students Short Video Contest.

"My video is about my feelings toward Hangzhou, how I met my wife in Hangzhou and why Hangzhou is such a romantic and beautiful city," Marnick said delightedly, "When I first met my wife in Hangzhou, we had a date and walked across the Broken Bridge (at West Lake). It was very romantic."

"I know Hangzhou has two very famous love stories; one about the White Snake and one about the Butterfly (Lovers)," he added.

"I also think Hangzhou is a very modern city. It is developing so quickly, and life here is very comfortable and convenient. We have Alipay, many amazing things, subway lines, and many companies such as Alibaba and NetEase," Marnick remarked.